Email Best Practices

It is essential to understand, use, and expect some basic email best practices in order to prevent the costly mistake of interacting with spam. Using these practices helps to create a safe email environment for both the sender and receiver.

Do not skip the formalities

It is easy to get into the habit of skipping formalities especially with those whom you email regularly. This can be extremely dangerous. Anyone with a desire and a quick google search can create a fake ‘From:’ name and email address.  Doing so can make an email look like it is coming from someone familiar to the recipient.  Using all of the formalities on a regular basis helps others to identify that you are actually who you say you are.

• Use a descriptive yet brief subject line.
• Open the message with a proper salutation addressing the person(s) you are sending to even if it is something as simple as “Hi Fred”. When sending to a group of people, if possible try to address everyone in the group with something such as “Good Morning Chamber of Commerce Members”.
• When sending an attachment or link, describe what it is for with something such as “Here is the requested deed for Ref#12345”, or “Here is the link to access our official website https://unioncountyor.gov”
• Use a standard signature. The signature should include your name, title, and contact information

Etiquette

• Use proper grammar.
• Avoid misspelling with spell check and proof reading.
• If sending a message using a mobile device add a line such as ‘Sent from my mobile’ to the top of your signature. While doing so does not excuse poor grammar or spelling, it does let the recipient know that there is more of a potential for mistakes.
• Avoid jargon such as ‘lol dude cu later’.
• Keep the message professional.
• Reply to all legitimate emails, even if it’s just a simple ‘Thank you’, or ‘I will be working on this next week’. This confirms to the sender that not only did you receive that message, but you read it as well.  It is also just polite, so that sender does not need to wait and wonder if the message was delivered.
• Let the recipient know the purpose of your email. Do not assume that a phone conversation last week means that they have been on the edge of their seat awaiting your email.
• Do not send email urging an immediate response. Email should not be relied on for urgent issues, and immediate response requests are one of the red flags for identifying malicious spam.

Is all of this really necessary?

Yes! Following these best practices helps us to identify each other by more than just an email address.  Just as you can learn to tell who is talking behind you by the tone of their voice, you can learn to identify fake senders by the email’s content and the way it is worded. Spammers are typically laidback when it comes to professional details. While they may get your name right, and possibly some of the other formalities, it is unlikely that they will get everything right.  It is this laid-back practice that helps us to identify spammers.

Best Practices Checklist